Conceived in 2017 and filmed over 5 years, Chan Tze-woon's Blue Island goes beyond the usual protest documentary format to address how various generations of struggle have shaped Hong Kong, from the refugees of the Cultural Revolution to the activists of the Umbrella Movement of 2014 and the exiles of the 2019 protests for self-determination. Between documentary and speculation, Hong Kong's past and present are seamlessly put in conversation so as to offer a lucid entry point into the city's present crisis.